145 (Berks Yeo) Field Regiment R.A.

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by andrewgfrench, Nov 24, 2013.

  1. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    I am starting this thread on behalf of the Berkshire Yeomanry Museum. We hold a large number of records for the WW2 period so please ask if you need some information.

    The regiment formally camp into existence at Chiseldon Camp near Swindon when 99 (Bucks & Berks Yeo) Field Regiment split into
    • 99 (Bucks Yeo) Field Regiment RA - part of 48 (South Midland) Division

    • 145 (Berks Yeo) Field Regiment RA - part of 61 Division
    Chiseldon Camp Aug 1939.jpg

    How did they decide who became first line and who the second line - incredibly they did it on the toss of a coin. Lets here from somebody who was there

    ... TA camp it was decided that we were going to…, the TA was going to be doubled in size, and it was a question as to whether we had one regiment which was Bucks and Berks of which we had a first and second line, or whether we split completely and we had one regiment which was Bucks Yeomanry and one regiment which was Berkshire Yeomanry. And eventually we decided on the latter as being a better one because it was easier to deal with. So we spun a coin and the Bucks won and they became first line and we became second line. So we then split up all the bits and pieces and we became second line so a great deal of the stuff which we used to think was ours was handed over to the Bucks Yeomanry, just before the war, and it then became theirs. And that how we divided ourselves before the war

    Campbell 2Lt DA (396) 99 (B&BY) Fd Regt RA Chiseldon Camp 1939.JPG

    Andrew French
    Asst. Hon Curator
    Berkshire Yeomanry Museum
    ... Be you Berkshire ?
     
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  2. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    Can anyone assist with any information on Lt-Col EHA Jackson 36698 R.A.who commanded the regiment 1943-44. I especially after a photo of Jackson if possible
    Regards
    Andrew
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Thanks for that info.
    I'll print it off & tuck it into my book on Chissy camp by David Bailey.
     
  4. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    Here a three photos of Chiseldon Camp - pretty rotten quality I'm afraid

    A very wet affair by all accounts

    David Bailey. Is this a published book you have ?

    Regards
    Andrew
    Berkshire Yeomanry Museum
    (Be you Berkshire?)
     

    Attached Files:

  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  6. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    I am posting this photo supplied by Bob Chandler which shows a (fifteen hundredweight?) truck with 61 Infantry Division formation sign and the number C4 or Charlie 4 on the front. I cannot find the answer on Nigel Evans Royal Artillery site on Tripod, so can any member tell what role a C4 truck played with a battery ORBAT ?

    This will have been taken in Northern Ireland 1940-43 or England 1943-1944
     

    Attached Files:

  7. idler

    idler GeneralList

    It would normally mean the 4th gun of the Regiment's C Tp.

    The vehicle is Guy Quad Ant 4x4 Field Artillery Tractor.
     
  8. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    Thank you Idler - of course it's a quad, I just didn't look closely before posting.

    However on looking closely it's "CA" not "C4". Any ideas ?


    Cheers
    Andrew
     
  9. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I didn't spot that! in that case, it would be the first gun of C Tp. Some units used numbers, some letters for the detachments.
     
  10. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Here is a list of the regiments war diaries covering WW2 at The National Archives:

    WO 166/1557 ROYAL ARTILLERY: FIELD REGIMENTS: 145 Field Regiment. 1939 Sept - 1940 Nov; 1941 Jan- Dec
    WO 166/7039 ROYAL ARTILLERY: FIELD REGIMENTS: 145 Regiment. 1942 Jan-Dec
    WO 166/11295 145 Field Regiment 1943 Jan.-Dec.
    WO 166/14974 145 Regiment 1944 Jan.-Oct.
    WO 172/7422 Field Regiments: 145 Regiment 1944 Nov.- 1945 Dec.
    WO 172/8400 Signal Sections attached Royal Artillery: Sigs Section att. 145 Field Regt 1945 Sept.-Oct.
    WO 172/10099 145 Field Regiment 1946 Jan.- May

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  11. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    Thanks for info
     
  12. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    Thanks for info Andy. We have got all the diaries except the Signal Section one which I had missed.
     
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  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    No probs. It wouldn't take you long to copy it. The Signals diaries attached to RA units are normally very thin.
     
  14. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    I came across this menu card recently while looking for something else and thought I would share it


    What to make of it ? "Be I Berkshire" was the motto of the Berks Yeo but what about " We lead the way"?

    Well I knew between April and September 1944 the regiment was involved in running transit camps on Southampton Common and Hursley nr Romsey. These called C16 C17 C22. Now this is where the internet came in and can clear things up very quickly. (NB When I first started researching in the early 1980s no such thing existing)

    Nightingale Wood is at Hursley.

    We lead to serve in the motto of the 29th Infantry Regiment (US) who provided men and logistical assistance to run the camps until the end of August when I came their turn to depoly
     

    Attached Files:

  15. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    Can anyone help

    A quick couple of questions regarding organisation of a WW2 Field Regt

    Each troop comprised following officers
    • Troop Commander who was fwd in action directing gun fire
    • The GPO or Gun Position Officer (role obvious)
    • There is often a Troop Leader who was the most junior. Can any body tell me his function ?

    Secondly there is several references in the war diaries to "H" Trucks or H Truck personel which seem to be wireless trucks and the Rad ops. Also H-nets. Where these specific wireless nets such as between a Bty and and Infantry Bn HQ ? Or a command net up to RHQ

    These are pretty basic questions but I can't find a satisfactory answer on the web.

    Andrew
     
  16. idler

    idler GeneralList

    H was the Battery Command Post vehicle. I suspect the H-net was Bty to Regt for fire control purposes as the Bty and Tp commanders acted as the FOOs with the infantry or tank units.
     
  17. idler

    idler GeneralList

  18. andrewgfrench

    andrewgfrench Member

    Thanks idler.

    Now you say about H trucks I recall being told that before. My army experience was with combat net radio so I understand on that level.

    We have some interesting written and recorded voice accounts of the Tp Commander FOOs in Java in 1945-46 where the Regt fired their guns for the first time. But its the role of the Troop Leader I was asking about.

    I agree the British Artillery in WW2 site is very useful - especially for one with a Royal Signals background. I came straight from that website to this forum having been unable to find an answer - but I've found lots of other answers there

    Cheers
    Andrew
     
  19. idler

    idler GeneralList

    OK, plan B: www.royalartilleryunitsnetherlands1944-1945.com there is a link to 'Division of Tasks' which outlines roles. There isn't one for Troop Leader but it implies his normal duties are Section Commander.
    Apologies for brevity and lack of links but on phone so can't actually see what I'm typing!
     
  20. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    Post WW2 the Troop Leader was a the second subaltern in a Troop with the task of leading the guns from position to position.. In action the "second Subaltern" coulod share duties with CPO or act as a section commander,. This is based on the definitions in Philip Jobson's Glossery of RA terms.
     

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